Comac and Boeing ink deal

Boeing and Comac have signed a collaboration agreement that will see them create a green technology research centre as well as arrange annual meetings and exchange market forecasts.

8th Mar 2012

Boeing and Comac have signed a "collaboration agreement" that will see them create a green technology research centre as well as arrange annual meetings and exchange market forecasts.

The two companies said they will create the Boeing-COMAC Aviation Energy Conservation and Emissions Reductions Technology Center in Beijing. Funded by both companies, the Boeing-COMAC Center will support research projects to increase commercial aviation\\\\\\\'s fuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

The companies will collaborate with China-based universities and research institutions to expand knowledge of technologies – such as sustainable aviation biofuels, aviation connectivity infrastructure and other areas.
The aircraft manufacturers also agreed to have annual leadership engagements and exchange commercial aviation market forecasts.

A signing ceremony in Beijing was attended by COMAC Chairman Jin Zhuanglong, COMAC President He Dongfeng and Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Jim Albaugh.

"Through this collaboration agreement, Boeing and COMAC will build our relationship and will further sustainable growth and fuel efficiency for Chin\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s fast-growing aviation market," said Albaugh. "Our new Technology Center shows that two companies in a competitive industry can partner to make progress on important challenges that cannot be solved by one company alone. That is good for customers and passengers, and it\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s the right thing to do."

"This milestone agreement between Boeing and COMAC follows four decades of Boeing partnership with airlines, government agencies, suppliers and research institutions to support the development of Chin\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s aviation industry," said Marc Allen, President of Boeing China. "Our hope is that innovative emissions-reduction technologies developed through the Boeing-COMAC Center will advance aviation in China and around the world."

Boeing has estimated that Chinese airlines will need to buy 5,000 new airplanes by 2030 to meet this extraordinary demand.